An Illustration of Lust
by twitchytwain
Summary: When fusion chef Rory Gilmore gets an offer to cook for famous actor Jessie Mariano she has put her dislike for celebrities aside espcially as the job requires her to move to beautiful Tuscany for six months while Jessie is shooting a movie there
1. Chapter 1

**Bon Voyage**

**#**

California's belching heat exhausted everything around her, wilting her ponytail and saturating her white double-breasted jacket with its wet stench. Rory was exhausted after catering another party. Summer was always chaotic in Los Angeles, actually every season was frenzied in Hollywood but there was something about summer that had the plastic town in a festive mood.

"Hey, great job today" Rory said to one of her employees as she dragged herself outside into the white heat. She smiled stumbling over a fallen trash can in the parking lot as they carried the catering equipment back to her company van.

"Thanks boss" the blonde replied smiling broadly with a vehement nod.

"Hey, there are no bosses here. You make me sound like Hitler" Rory chuckled watching as he hauled the final gear in the van.

"No word about your last audition?"

"I didn't get the role," he shrugged his shoulders" I wasn't pale or scrawny enough to play a KGB soldier"

"I thought it was for zombie film" she gnawed on her bottom lip wiping the sweat from her brow.

"Yeah, it's set in Russia"

"Uh—aha" Rory nodded stifling back a giggle. She figured the guy was better off making an honest living sweating out in the back of her kitchen but he had a dream and he wasn't too hard on the eye either. He could have pulled off the brooding blue eyed hero with ease but she was certain about his chose of roles. What he needed in a savage town like L.A was a shark for an agent.

"Listen, Jake" she began fishing for her friend's business card from her wallet, "that's my friend Paris, give her a call. She's a great agent"

"Thanks bo-I mean Rory" he grinned sheepishly.

"Don't sweat it" she smiled patting his back as he stuffed the card into his tight skinny jeans.

"Take it easy" he waved, winking into the sunlight. Rory loved employing the young college students who called themselves actors but were yet to even get a role in a T.V commercial. It made her feel like she was giving something back to L.A, a big thank you to the town that had given her a break. Lorelai, her mother had initially loathed the idea of her daughter hustling around L.A cooking for celebrities and toting herself as one of those ubiquitous bullshit celebrity chefs. She only let up when Rory was featured in L.A magazine as the next fusion food maestro. That quickly made her forget about the degree from Yale that was slowly gathering dust in one of the boxes in Rory's closet. She was proud of Rory because she was doing something for herself. Independence, isn't that what they were always preaching down in Stars Hollow during their Christmas dinners?

xXx

It took her hours to get home in the tedious L.A traffic, hours of twitching hands drumming the steering wheel and red rimmed eyes stalking the review mirror. When she finally reached her leafy seaside suburb, Paris's BMW was already parked outside her wrought-iron gates in the blazing heat.

X

"Wait, what?" Rory's eyebrows vaulted "you want _me_ to go to Tuscany to cook for some spoilt actress?" she asked pulling out a knife from a rack next to the sink.

"Do those creatures even eat?" she added slicing out red chilli into fine strips and tossing it into a heated wok.

"It's an actor and yes, he loves the finer things in life" Paris replied sliding into a barstool opposite Rory and frantically sliding her fingers along the screen of her iPad.

"The finer things in life" Rory repeated with a dry chuckle as she ladled rich gleaming chocolate into two ceramic bowls.

"As in your food Gilmore, your …_creations_" her blonde friend grinned propping her elbows on the vast pine-wood table before tugging at the bunch of black grapes in a basket next to her. Rory shook her head, rolling her eyes. Paris was doing a fine job of trying to stroke her ego but she wouldn't budge. She wasn't willing to just run off and leave L.A, especially now that Dean was asking Lindsey for a divorce. Rory had waited too long for Dean to be free of his wife so that they could finally be together, so she could finally do something as simple as holding Dean's hand in public.

"I'm not interested" she said shaking her head and throwing slivers of juicy beef, pepper and mango inside the searing wok.

"Pretty please," Paris grinned, plucking a red wine bottle from the box of wines she had carried up the stairs to Rory's bungalow.

"You're bribing me with wine from the Napa Valley?"

"Yes" she replied frankly tucking the bottle under her arm.

"Who is this guy anyway, George Clooney?" Rory asked licking off the chocolate from her index finger.

"He's not quite as seasoned as Clooney" Paris yelled as she strode toward the airy white lounge with tall wooden shutters and flowering cactus plants lining an oblong glass table littered with culinary magazines.

"No salt and pepper hair or tuxedos"

"Too bad"

"He recently signed on for the next Batman movie" Paris explained as she pulled the cork from the wine before pouring it into two big wineglasses.

"Aha…that type, "Rory trained her eyes at her friend, "I don't like that type" she said loosening her brown hair until it splayed around her shoulders, damp and tangled.

"You're being ridiculous as usual; can I reveal his name now?"

Rory rolled her eyes taking giant gulp from her glass.

"It's Jessie, Jesse Mariano from that Empire movie" she said scrolling through her silver device before titling the iPad toward Rory. Rory stared at the image Paris showed her and heat seeped through her veins like a slow drug. She wasn't sure if it was the wine mellowing her aching limbs or seeing Jessie Mariano's expressive eyes but her fingers slackened around the glass and pulsing heat shot through her gut.

"Hey, have you got any more of that Jack Daniels butter?" Paris's eyes sprang up at her as she cut into her tender steak.

"Be my guest, "Rory shrugged her shoulders trying to seem nonchalant about the Tuscany discussion but her eyes betrayed her as they searched the screen on Paris's iPad for Jessie Mariano big brooding eyes.

"What's it gonna be Gilmore? The man needs a chef A.S.A.P"

"Why can't he employ a local girl there in Tuscany?" she asked picking up her own knife and fork to dig into her meat" isn't Mariano an Italian name?"

"Maybe he wants sloppy greasy American burgers who knows," Paris blew out a sharp breath "Do you want the job or not Rory?"

Rory closed her blue eyes shaking her head.

"Let me sleep on it"

"Don't think too long, tons of chefs would kill for this job" Paris chuckled kicking back her shoes and reclining on Rory's white linen couches.


	2. Chapter 2

**Big Girls don't cry**

#

Rory loved Sundays in Los Angeles.

Firstly, there was no vigorous spinning class with Paris which meant that she could lie in bed until nine o'clock before venturing out to the farmer's market. Sundays were also the days when Dean came over for a long lunch, preferably a naked one.

Slowly, she lumbered out of the covers and moved to the tall wooden shutters covering one side of her bedroom. Swinging the giant doors open, she took in a sharp breath as crisp air smacked her alabaster cheeks. California's muggy smog had eased this morning; the air was sharper and cleaner. It was crisp and fit for a hike along one of L.A's infamous trails, sans the guide, unless the guide was Dean and his yellow Labrador. Gathering her lustrous dark hair into a messy topknot, she tightened the cords on her drawstring pyjama pants and padded toward the kitchen.

Everything moved at a snail's pace on Sunday and that's how she liked it. Slowly, she whisked a couple of organic eggs in a deep bowl, mixing them with chives and tossed tomatoes in the oven. She loved how everything was so organic in L.A, right down to the grass-fed burgers at fast food places. Lorelai on the other hand, despised it and called it healthy food for healthy-judgy—know it all people with nothing to do but carry picket signs outside MacDonald's. She raised the volume on her CD player, danced and sang along to Edith Piaf with the smattering of French she knew.

The screeching peal from her cordless phone jolted her from her euphoria.

"Nothing like a moral dilemma at seven in the morning"

Her mother drawled as soon as she picked up the phone, not bothering with a greeting.

"Is it Christopher?" Rory asked, the phone tucked between her neck and shoulder. She reached into the refrigerator for a large bottle of grapefruit juice.

"No, it's my daughter who'd rather spend a fruitless summer in L.A pining after a married man instead of Tuscany"

"I see Paris told you" she heaved a sigh, wiping a hand across her forehead.

"Did you know that they invented pizza in Tuscany?" Lorelai gabbled and Rory rolled her eyes, a smile tweaking the corners of her lips.

"And here I thought it was a Greek idea" Rory prattled back, scanning the cabinet for her favourite plate.

"Did you know that Tuscany is the birthplace of the Italian language?" Lorelai continued, not quite done with convincing her daughter about the pleasures of Tuscany.

"You're thumping through Google, aren't you?" Rory raised an eyebrow, a grin spreading across her face.

"Ok, at least go for the leaning tower of Pisa if not for the hunky Italian actor" She could hear Lorelai blowing a lock of hair off her face, chin stapled on the kitchen counter.

"I stay in L.A, the landscape is dotted with hunky actors" Rory shrugged her shoulder matter of factly. It was true, she sat next to Matt Damon once at some coffee shop, surprised at how deeply engrossed he was with a copy of James Joyce. Rory had assumed he'd been reading it for some movie he was preparing for.

"Wouldn't it be great if desperation made us more attractive?" Lorelai quizzed and Rory's heart jolted at the mention of the word desperation.

"It's been working just fine up until now "Rory defended, a crack creeping into her voice. She stabbed a slice of roasted tomato and shoved it into her mouth listening to Lorelai argue about her choice in men, more specifically, her choice to date a very married Dean.

ooo

Rory was in the process of lighting the flurry of tea tree light candles when Dean arrived. He was late but she promised herself not to dwell on that little fact. Smoothing her hands down her skimpy lace teddy, she made her way to the door to let him in. The see through lingerie made her feel awkward but she refused to let her nerves get in the way. She was going to be sexy for Dean even if it killed her.

"Wow, "he exclaimed, eyes widening at the sight of her.

"Hi, "she said sheepishly, tucking a hair behind her ear as she handed him a glass of wine.

"You look beautiful" Dean declared, cheeks flushed as his gaze washed over her.

"Just beautiful?" she teased, looping her arms around his waist.

"And sexy, did I mention sexy?" he smiled tracing her jaw with his fingers, lingering on her lips. Rory noticed that his smile did not reach his eyes, they did not glitter in the candlelight, they were dull and dark.

"What's wrong?" she asked, her heart already punching her chest.

"I can't stay" he breathed, his hand curling back to his side.

"Lindsey" she croaked, shaking her head as she stepped back from him. Suddenly she felt naked, dirty and stupid as she shivered in her new lingerie.

"You're never going to leave her are you?" Rory asked in a dry, husky voice.

"Rory, you need to understand," his words tripped over his awkward tongue "Lindsey's pregnant—"it's just not a good time right now"

"She's pregnant" she repeated, a wry smile twisting her lips. So, he was still sleeping with his wife after all…Suddenly Rory regretted everything. She regretted how soft and yielding she had been with him. She was sorry for kissing him all these months, sorry for having made love to him. She was especially sorry for still loving him.

"I love you Rory, "Dean said softly cupping the back of her neck with his hand. Startled, Rory stared blankly at him and her mouth grew slack as he wrapped his arms around her. She peered over his shoulder at the oily sea glistening just beyond her open window. Numbness seeped through her, a gripping paralysis as Dean held her tightly.

"Get out, "Rory muttered, still held tight in his grip. Discouraged, Dean drew back and seized her weak shoulders with his hands.

"I love you" he pleaded softly, smoothing back her hair.

"I don't care" she simply said, dead to his gaze and numb to his touch. It took a while for Dean to gather himself and leave, it took even longer for her to scramble to her feet and retreat to her big empty bedroom.

Barely daring to breath, she picked up her phone and called Paris.

"Yes" she murmured, hearing Paris raspy voice over the line.

"Yes?" Paris asked, barely able to hide her excitement.

"Yes, I'll go to Tuscany." Rory clenched her eyes shut, willing the tears the tears away.


End file.
